The present invention relates to a heat exchanger assembly, and more particularly, to a plate-fin continuous tube heat exchanger.
Refrigeration systems are well known and widely used in supermarkets and warehouses to refrigerate food product displayed in a product display area of a refrigerated merchandiser or display case. Conventional refrigeration systems include an evaporator, a compressor, and a condenser through which a heat transfer fluid or refrigerant is circulated. Heat transfer between the refrigerant in the evaporator and an airflow passing through the evaporator cools the airflow, which in turn conditions the product display or support area.
Some existing heat exchangers include plate fins and one or more continuous, serpentine refrigerant tubes that pass through slots or ‘dog bones’ in the fins. Air passing through these existing heat exchangers typically leaks through the slots, and the air leakage through the outermost fins (i.e. the fins on each end of the heat exchanger) generates undesirable turbulence in the airflow and limits effective heat transfer between the refrigerant and the airflow.